Shop Online - Essay Example

Revolutions have always had both benefits and adverse effects and technological developments in internet applications are not an exception. Communication has become extremely easy and communication-based activities such as businesses are conducted over the Internet. This defines online shopping in which a buyer is able to place an order for a commodity, pay for the commodity over the internet, and just wait for delivery. This paper offers a description of how to conduct online shopping.

Online shopping defines the reliance on internet-based technology to carry out purchases. This often involves computer systems, and mobile phones, among other devices that can connect to the internet. It also involves stores and sellers that operate online. Even though the online shopping process appears to be simple, potential online buyers must be careful to consider their environment while undertaking their shopping over the Internet. This involves the evaluation of and high level of sensitivity to the online environment that involves risks. These consequently define appropriate practices to ensure safe online shopping (Get, n.d.).

Online shopping ventures are for instance full of fraudulent activities that aim at getting a customer’s money without the intended delivery. Hackers particularly exist who intercept communication and misguide consumers into making payments to the wrong accounts, or establish websites through which the potential customers can unknowingly make payments to the wrong destinations. The result is a single-way transaction in which the fraudster receives payments but the potential customer does not obtain the desired products. There also exist fake websites that do not actually offer products as they claim to. They however disseminate false information on their location, communication links, and inventory that may not really exist. A buyer, therefore, loses advanced payments to such cheats. Another threat to online shopping is in delivery of products that do not match the expected descriptions. While a consumer can have the situation corrected if such deliveries are not intentional, intentional false delivery results in losses because the alleged seller will never make the right delivery after receiving the targeted money (Get, n.d.).

Safe shopping is however defined by a number of characteristics. A potential buyer should conduct a thorough search of alleged online sellers before initiating a transaction. Such a search should determine the existence and validity of the seller’s address and phone contacts for ascertaining the reliability of the seller’s offered information. Similarly, the application of safe payment modes such as credit cards is advisable in online shopping as it links registered users who can be traced in case of fraudulent behavior. It is also advisable to ensure the security of any website before submitting credit card details. This is because bad recipients who may try to access the buyer’s account for transferring funds can access such details. The application of intermediary online bank accounts also ensures safe money transfers in online shopping. Similarly, a review of the seller’s policies as well as logging out of any site after use, keeping transaction receipts, and constantly reviewing bank statements after an online payment are other techniques for ensuring safe online shopping (Get, n.d.).

Shopping online is therefore a sensitive venture in which the buyer is susceptible to diverse fraudulent activities. The buyer should therefore be careful to ensure the credibility of the seller and the payment process while shopping online.